Gun.



N. DUN HAM..

GUN.

' PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP 23, 1910. 978,144. Patented Dec.v13,191o.

"Il: e I l NEVSOM DUNHAM, GF FULTON, BISSGURI.

GUN.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

Application filed June 23, 191@` Serial No. 568,545.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Nnwsoar DUNHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fulton, in the county of Callaway and State of Missouri. have invented a new and useful Gun, of which the following is a specitication.

This invention has reference to improvements in guns and is directed more particularly to a safety means for guns provided with hammers liable to be accidentally moved toward the cocked position to a sufficient extent so that when released the blow of the hammer may be enough to cause the .accidental tiring of the gun.

The present invention comprises means whereby a movement of the hammer to any extent under the full cocked position will be inactive to the charge of the gun which gun may only be fired on the pulling of the trigger after the hammer has been cocked.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detail description taken in connection with the accom an fino' drawinO's forming a aart of b b b this specification, in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a gun stock showing the lock. mechanism in the normal position. F ig. 2 is asimilar view showing the hammer in the cocked position. Fig. 3 is a view showing the position assumed by the parts while the trigger is in the retracted position.

g Referring to the drawings there is shown a gun stock 1 and barrel 2. The gun is provided with a hammer 3 which may be of the ordinary type and provided with a thumb piece 4: as is customary in that type of gun locks wherein the hammer is moved to the active or cocked position by means of a force applied by the thumb of the operator. In the path of the hammer is a firing pin 5 such as is commonly employed. The hammer is under the control of a main spring 6 engaging a shoulder 7 of the hammer while the hammer is provided with an opposing shoulder S engaged by another spring 9 which because of its function may be termed a rebound spring. ln the path of the hammer is the usual sear 10 controlled by a sear spring 11.

Mounted in the gun stock is a trigger 12 arranged to engage the sear 11 in the usual manner and this trigger is provided with an extension 13 directed toward the barrel end of the gun and at the free or front end carrying a safety block 14 extending toward the front of the hammer where it is provided with a .shoulder 15 and a continuation 1G. Secured to the trigger 12 is a spring 17 overlying the extension 13 and in engagement with the safety block 14 tending to force the latter against the adjacent wall of the lock casing while the reaction of the spring 17 maintains the trigger 12 in the normal position and causes the return of the trigger to such normal position when pulled away therefrom by the finger of the operator in the act of firing the gun.

ln the normal position of the parts with the hammer uncooked the spring 1T causes the safety block 1de to move in front of the hammer so that the latter is lodged against the extension 1G while thc block 14C engages the hammer by the shoulder 15. lVhen the hammer 3 is moved to the cocked position so that the sear 10 engages and holds the hammer the spring 6 is put under tension in the usual manner. Now when the trigger is pulled the extension 13 is moved in a direction to carry the safety block out of the path of the advancing hammer which is then released by the engagement of the trigger 12 with the scar 10 and the hammer advances under the action of the spring G until it strikes the firing pin 5 and the charge is exploded in the usual manner. The action of the spring 6 in driving the hammer 3 to the active position brings the spring 9 under some tension so that this spring immediately reacts against the spring 6 until equilibrium is established which condition carries the hammer 3 slightly back of the firing position so that on releasing the trigger 12 and the return of the trigger to normal position under the action of the spring 1'? the safety block will move with the extension 13 between the active end of the hammer and the adjacent wall of the casing until this block is arrested by engagement of the shoulder 15 with the hammer, or a suitable stop may be provided to prevent further movement of the trigger extension 13 under the action of the spring 17. Suppose` however that the hammer should be drawn toward the cocked position but not to a sufficient extent to cause the engagement of the sear 10 with the hammer and that the hammer should then be released, the spring 6 will immediately return the hammer toward the initial position but the end 16 of the safety block ll being then in the path of the hammer the latter will not come into engagement with the firing pin 5 and the charge of the gun will not be al'leeted. lt is immaterial With what foi-ee the hammer may be impelled eo long as the safety block is in the active `position no blow is delivered on the liring pin and consequently the charge is not exploded. However when the `trigger is manipulated in the usual manner the safety block is -Withdrawn from the path ol the lie-immerI il and the latter will strike the tiring ein to Cause the discharge of theload. rlfhe purpose ot' the rebound spring 9 is to carry the hammer 3 to a position permitting the ready movement of the safety block into active relation to the hammer.

lllhat is claimed is l. ln a fire-arm, a hammer, a firing pin at all times in the path of the hammer, a trigger havingl a forward extension, a safety block carried by the forward extension of the trigger and movable by the latter'into blocking relation to the hammer When the trigger is in the normal or unpulled position, and atrigger spring Carried by the trigger and engaging the safety-block.

2. ln a lire-arm, a. hammer, a main spring therefor, a rebound spring normally holding the hammer retracted from the limit of 3o its forward movement, a Vtiring pin at all times in the path of movement of the hammer, a trigger, a safety block movable by the trigger into blocking relation to the hammer When the hammer is in the normal or unpulled position, and a spring Carried by the trigger andengaging the safety block.

3. ln a fire-arm, a hammer, a main spring therefor, a rebound spring for the hammer 40 normally holdingl the latter retracted from the forward limit of its movementunder the action of the main spring, a firing pin at all times in the `path of the hammer, a

trigger provided with a forward extension,

a safety bloelr carried by the forward eX- tension of the trigger and movable into and out of blocking relation to the hammer When held by the rebound spring, andv a spring Carried by the trigger and engaging the 

